The Breeze JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922
february
17, 2022 VOL. 100 NO.20 BREEZEJMU.ORG
Class attendance policies vary, students grow apprehensive By KASEY TRAPUZZANO The Breeze
The Dukes, with 10 new players on the team this year, prepare for the new season of softball at a practice Feb. 16. Matt Young / The Breeze
JMU softball enters season with fresh team post-World Series run By SAVANNAH REGER The Breeze
Former JMU pitcher Odicci Alexander took a breath in the circle. On an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, evening, the Dukes were up 2-1 over Oklahoma State with a trip to the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) semifinals on the line. The pitch flew from Alexander’s fingers toward the plate. Oklahoma State bunted, perfectly placing the ball between sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett and the Dukes’ ace. The Cowgirls had a player on third base who sprinted home in a last-second effort to tie the game. Alexander ran from the circle, using everything inside her to get to the ball. Alexander pitched almost the entirety of
the postseason run. It was getting down to the end; the redshirt senior had to make the play. She grabbed the ball and, instead of flipping it to Bernett, she went against the JMU motto that the game is more than the score — she took it for herself. In the play that defined JMU softball’s WCWS run, Alexander got the tag out. She hit the dirt hard, her arm bending backward in the process to get the second out and keep the Dukes in the lead. JMU went on to win the game 2-1, but while the pitcher kept the ball for herself, she took the brunt of the damage. That’s what JMU softball cited as the play that best defined its motto. “A big part of JMU softball’s culture is our selflessness within each individual,” sophomore pitcher Alissa Humphrey said.
“I think that we’ve carried that onto our underclassmen.” JMU head coach Loren LaPorte said the team that made it to Oklahoma City had chemistry, and the players themselves backed it up by saying the Dukes have a family bond and atmosphere. But this season, it’s a whole new cast. That doesn’t mean that this season’s cast feels any less close-knit. “I definitely think that [we’re a family],” redshirt senior pitcher Lexi Bermudez said. “We have a really good group of girls who love to play and love to work hard, and they’re such nice people, genuinely nice, people.” see HITTING HOME, page 19
Though JMU is advising students to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if positive for COVID-19, the university has allowed professors full discretion to decide their own attendance policies, leaving many members of the student body concerned about the lack of blanketed policies put into place during the pandemic. As of now, JMU professors determine their own attendance policies for each class they teach, according to JMU’s attendance policy. Some professors don’t take attendance for their classes, while others dock points off final grades after students miss a certain number of classes. Because of this, students may have to choose between going to class and spreading the virus or staying home and not getting credit for class attendance or participation. Mary-Hope Vass, the executive director of communications and university spokesperson, said in an email to The Breeze that the attendance policy is this way because professors are the “most knowledgeable of their course content and structure.” “Because student presence and involvement are tied so closely to their teaching methods, faculty are in the best place to create the requirements for their individual courses,” Vass said. Vass said instructors develop their own policies and share them with their students per the course syllabus so students can make “an educated decision” about their course involvement. “We expect and encourage faculty to be flexible and understanding with students,” Vass said. “Collaboratively, students and their instructors typically agree on reasonable options for covering class material and assignments. This is especially true while students are in quarantine or isolation, as avoiding contact with others benefits the entire JMU community.” Val Larsen, speaker of the faculty senate, said in an email to The Breeze that there are both gains and losses with “decentralized decision making.” Larsen said that given the differences in what’s taught in a class and how it’s taught, the importance of physical presence vs. absence in class isn’t constant across all courses or all sections of a course. “The decentralization of attendance policy making allows for policies to be adapted to the material and manner of instruction in each course,” Larsen said. Bridget Ross, a junior nursing major, tested positive for COVID-19 in January of this semester. She said she missed three days of classes and a clinical — where students apply knowledge to real-world healthcare agencies — that she still has yet to make up during her five-day quarantine. Ross said she communicated with her professors via email while she had COVID-19. see ATTENDANCE, page 5
2
24 hours to join 2gether and support what you love at JMU
E V I L Y A D 2 2 G 0 2 N I , ! 2 V 2 I D . E G ., FEB V L S E U T
T E G
O V IN
7 AM-7 PM SCAVENGER HUNTS MAIN Campus
Test your knowledge of Main Campus with a Giving Day themed scavenger hunt!
EAST Campus
Test your knowledge of East Campus with a Giving Day themed scavenger hunt!
Complete a Scavenger Hunt and unlock a visit to HQ! Students who give to ANY fund will be invited to a Pizza Night with Dr. Miller after Giving Day.
1-8 PM GIVING DAY HQ at Atlantic Union Bank Center
Thursday, February 17, 2022
1-7pm Basketball Practice
1-8pm:
1-5pm Caricature artist
Giveaways
3-8pm Photobooth
Food
3-4:30pm Appearance by Dr. Miller
Games
#JMUGIVINGDAY | givingday.jmu.edu
3
Happy Valentine's Day from The Breeze
JOANNA SOMMER / THE BREEZE
Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JAKE CONLEY
EXECUTIVE EDITOR JILLIAN CAREY
breezeeditor@gmail.com
breezepress@gmail.com
NEWS EDITORS KAMRYN KOCH & ASHLYN CAMPBELL
SPORTS EDITORS MADISON HRICIK & SAVANNAH REGER
breezenews@gmail.com
breezesports@gmail.com
MANAGING EDITOR CONNOR MURPHY thebreezeweb@gmail.com
OPINION EDITOR JACOB CARTER
thebreezeculture@gmail.com
breezeopinion@gmail.com
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR KIRA BALDAU
ART DIRECTOR MADISON ROOT
thebreezeweb@gmail.com
thebreezeartdirector@gmail.com
Advertising Staff
CREATIVE DIRECTOR RITA YOHAM
JMU’S AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1922
breezephotography@gmail.com
VIDEO EDITOR GANNON LA CROIX
breezevideo1@gmail.com
PHONE: (540) 568-6127 FAX: (540) 568-7889
breezembr@gmail.com
breezecopy@gmail.com
PHOTO EDITORS MATT YOUNG & CAMBRIA LEE
1598 S. Main St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801
MADISON BUSINESS REVIEW EDITOR FILIP DE MOTT
COPY EDITORS JOANNA SOMMER & GRANT JOHNSON
OP
CULTURE EDITORS AMY NEEDHAM & CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
The Breeze
COVER BY: MADISON ROOT COVER PHOTO: MATT YOUNG / THE BREEZE
MISSION The Breeze, the student-run newspaper of James Madison University, serves student, faculty and staff readership by reporting news involving the campus and local community. The Breeze strives to be impartial and fair in its reporting and firmly believes in First Amendment rights. Published on Thursday mornings, The Breeze is distributed throughout James Madison University and the local Harrisonburg community. Single copies of The Breeze are distributed free of charge. Additional copies are available for 50 cents by contacting our business office. Comments and complaints should be addressed to Jake Conley, editor.
AD DESIGNER
CATHERINE CONNOLLY & ALEX CANDELIER
New & Improved Digital Banking February 9, 2022 Visit
cofcu.org/digital-banking Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Opportunity Lender.
for more details.
v02.02.22
Thursday, February 17, 2022
COMING
4
NEWS
EDITORS
EMAIL breezenews@gmail.com
Ashlyn Campbell & Kamryn Koch
@BreezeNewsJMU
Energize the ‘Burg
GiveSolar, a nonprofit under the New Community Project, installs solar panel systems on new Habitat for Humanity homes in Harrisonburg. Matt Young / The Breeze
GiveSolar brings renewable energy to Harrisonburg and beyond
Thursday, February 17, 2022
By MICHAEL RUSSO The Breeze
The sun rises at dawn, and so begins a new day full of possibilities and ways to help others. For Jeff Heie, director of GiveSolar, bringing solar energy to people in need is how he impacts the Harrisonburg community. GiveSolar is a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of New Community Project, a national nonprofit with several programs in the Shenandoah Valley. GiveSolar was founded in 2018, and after a friend reached out to him with an idea in October 2020, Heie began developing a pilot program and partnership with Central Valley Habitat for Humanity. This initiative focuses on installing solar panel systems on new Habitat homes in the Harrisonburg area, easing the financial burden of energy on homeowners with low incomes. Kirsten Pittman, community outreach coordinator at Central Valley Habitat, said low-income families can sometimes come from unsafe housing situations, so they can apply and go through a screening process to get a Habitat home that they can afford. When approved, the future homeowners contribute to the construction of their house through a “sweat equity” program, where they must contribute a set number of hours during the building process — including when GiveSolar comes in. Heie said the project is about “encouraging [Habitat homeowners] to experiment and explore with solar” to achieve longterm benefits and savings. With each new installation of solar panels, GiveSolar and Habitat hold what they call a “solar barn raising” to bring the community together. Heie said the term barn raising comes from Amish communities when neighbors
would work together to build barns in a day. “We kind of borrowed that term, and it’s been a really useful tool and concept to get volunteers involved in the installation,” Heie said. “It raises a lot of awareness about solar and just gets people interested and helps them to understand the technology.” The first barn raising occurred throughout February and March 2021 during a trial period at a Habitat duplex under construction in Broadway, Virginia. After Heie and GiveSolar raised $10,000 in the two months prior — enough money to cover the upfront cost for the two systems — the solar panels were installed by local company Green Hill Solar, and the trial run was considered a success. From there, Heie proposed an official initiative to Central Valley Habitat to install solar panels on each Habitat home built through at least 2026 — approximately 20 houses — with money raised from the Solar Seed Fund he started. His initial objective was to reach $100,000 by February, but he exceeded this goal earlier than anticipated, raising over $127,000 by October 2021. “I was really amazed that we were able to do that in a relatively short period of time,” Heie said. “I’m not a professional fundraiser. I think … the credit goes to the community that really stepped up and supported this in a big way.” Sally Newkirk, associate broker at Kline May Realty, was an “instrumental” part of this effort, Heie said, in gaining Kline May’s support for the Solar Seed Fund. Newkirk said Kline May has always been a supporter of Habitat, whether it’s by assisting financially, volunteering with construction or helping look for land to build the homes. Knowing GiveSolar was connected to Central Valley Habitat was the critical step in having Kline May support
“It’s part of the solution for climate change — no doubt about that.” Sally Newkirk
Associate broker at Kline May Realty
Heie’s solarization project, Newkirk said. “It’s part of the solution for climate change — no doubt about that,” Newkirk said. “It’s about community. It’s about helping people … We want it to add stability to the community.” Pittman echoed Newkirk’s sentiments and said the partnership with GiveSolar was a “no-brainer.” Pittman said Habitat homes are already built to EarthCraft standards to be airtight and energy efficient; less cold air escapes in the summer, and hot air stays inside during colder months. Adding solar panels was a way for Habitat to continue helping low-income families in the long run. “While the house itself won’t be more than 30% of their income as dedicated by [Department of Housing and Urban Development] guidelines … they are still going to have finance issues,” Pittman said. “Anything that we can provide to these families as we continue to build this new construction is going to become incredibly important not only for them, but also for environmental factors as well.” Looking to the future, Heie said he hopes to partner with other nonprofits in the area like he did with Gemeinschaft Home — an organization that serves recently incarcerated individuals — and expand GiveSolar’s program. He recently joined a task force for the service organization Rotary International to help create a solar guidebook to implement what GiveSolar has achieved locally with worldwide Habitat affiliates. Heie’s currently working on growing GiveSolar with other Habitat affiliates throughout the state. GiveSolar has already launched a two-year project with Habitat Virginia to do so, and Heie said it helps to be connected with the state-level affiliate as he seeks out additional opportunities and grants. Kyle Ramey, a JMU graduate student, has been working with GiveSolar as part of an internship with Climate Action Alliance of the Valley for his capstone project. Ramey volunteered at the latest barn raising event last month, though most of his work with GiveSolar involves assisting Heie with completing grant applications. Ramey said his role involves taking specialized information, like the science
behind solar panels, and finding ways to share it with others in a way so that anyone can understand it — not just those who developed and use it. Heie and Ramey are applying for a grant from the Virginia Housing organization for a two-year study measuring the impact of solar installations on spending habits and activities for the families they benefit. Virginia Housing is a state-funded program that helps Virginians find affordable housing. “We’re hoping that through the relieves [on] overhead on energy bills,” Ramey said, “that we can see people in these positions being more engaged in their community, having more opportunities to contribute to smaller local businesses — just a lot of the sort of things that with their current situations they may not have the time or opportunity to engage in.” Ramey said that sometimes, the prospect of solar can be a tough sell for low-income homeowners due to the steep upfront cost of the panel systems. However, GiveSolar’s program meets homeowners in the middle by doing the fundraising and helps create a more conducive way for people in difficult financial circumstances to save money over the next 2530 years — the lifespan of solar technology. “Everyone will talk all the time about the need for this sort of action, but I think there’s definitely not nearly enough discussion of how to make that action more viable,” Ramey said. “I think what Jeff’s doing is definitely exactly what we need to be pushing more of in order to not just sit around talking about the issue but take meaningful steps toward its facilitation.” As the sun sets by a long day’s end, Heie said “the sky’s the limit” for what he and all those involved in GiveSolar’s program can achieve for the community and environment. “We’re contributing to the economic wellbeing of both families and organizations that we want to be really strong,” Heie said. “It’s just a real gift and pleasure to be able to do this kind of work because you really see some positive outcomes.” CONTACT Michael Russo at russomw@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.
5
NEWS
Absence of uniformity JMU lacks blanketed attendance policy during pandemic Some students have expressed concern due to the variability of professors’ policies. Matt Young / The Breeze
from ATTENDANCE, page 1
of which are communicated to her students on her syllabus. Carah Ong Whaley, associate director of JMU Civic, said in an email to The Breeze that she checks in with how her students are doing each class and offers a remote option via Zoom for students who still want some sort of presence if unable to come to class in person. “I encourage students to find the care and well-being they need first and I will work with
them to make up whatever is missed by the end of the semester,” Ong Whaley said. “This is a time to offer empathy and care in our teaching and learning approaches.” CONTACT Kasey Trapuzzano at trapuzkm@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
“[My professors] were all understanding,” Ross said. “They didn’t want me to come to class and told me to rest. But, they also didn’t help me catch up. I had to do it all by myself and get notes from other people [for each class].” Ross said she was exhausted while she had COVID-19, so it was hard for her to still be expected to do the work and not get behind in her classes. During the Student Government Association (SGA) senate meeting Feb. 1, many student senators — including junior Emily Butters, speaker of the SGA senate — voiced concern for JMU’s lack of a blanketed policy. “[The Office of the Provost is] just very hesitant to put in policies, especially blanket policies, that benefit students more than faculty,” Butters said during the meeting. Junior Shawdee Bakhtiari, executive assistant of SGA, said SGA members aren’t only speaking for themselves on this matter but that they’ve also heard from members of the student body and other large organizations on campus regarding concern for the scattered policy at JMU as well. “This is an extremely unfair policy, especially with [COVID-19],” Bakhtiari said during the meeting. “It’s not something that’s just a common cold; it’s something that’s extremely dangerous and pretty unprecedented.” Sophomore Danny Gaffin, academic affairs chairman of SGA, said he’s been working closely with Vice Provost Rudy Molina, researching other Virginia public universities’ attendance policies to try to implement some of their policies at JMU. “[Molina and I] are going to do as much as we can, soon, because we know this is time sensitive to help the students out,” Gaffin said. Gaffin said that on Feb. 9, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Coltman put out guidelines to professors and faculty on how to deal with COVID-19 attendance situations, which Gaffin thinks will be “really helpful to students.” These guidelines can now be found online as part of JMU’s attendance guidelines. “It’s really hard not having a strict attendance policy, but there needs to be [a] reason for one, and [COVID-19] is that
reason,” Gaffin said. Other JMU faculty and professors across campus are also doing their part to try and help students regarding attendance during COVID-19. Rebecca Howes-Mischel, associate professor of anthropology, said in an email to The Breeze that while her classes do have strict deadlines and expectations about attendance, she’s willing to work with students through her “life happens” clause — which is included in all of her syllabus. “Sometimes, life happens and you may not be able to meet deadlines and expectations,” Howes-Mischel’s clause states. “Some students often blame themselves in these circumstances and stress snowballs as they get further and further behind. That situation is in no one’s best interest. If you are in this situation I can help.” Allison Fagan, associate professor of English, said in an email to The Breeze that “attendance policies, while usually wellintentioned attempts to keep students accountable, often can’t account for the fact that life interrupts us in ways beyond our control” — like the pandemic. Fagan said she believes the biggest challenge for students, faculty and administration is that they’re all being told to return to “normal” while continuing to be in a situation that’s anything but normal. Because of this, Fagan said, students, faculty and administration have “treated the return to in-person learning as a return to our old ways of doing things.” “Even if we could somehow return to ‘normal,’ as an educator, I’ve been questioning whether we ever needed rules that penalize absence in the first place,” Fagan said. “In my case, I used to think in-person attendance was necessary to the learning experience, but I have found that giving students a range of ways to be ‘present’ even if they can’t physically be in the room makes a class more accessible and equitable.” Melissa Alemán, professor in the school of communication studies, said in an email to The Breeze she has a specific viewpoint and “philosophy” of what it means to support “learning during the pandemic.” Alemán said she recognizes “learning can often be challenging” during the ongoing pandemic, so she doesn’t have an attendance requirement in any of her classes and allows a 48-hour grace period on written work — both
6
NEWS
Madison Root / The Breeze
In case of emergency JMU outlines safety plans and what do to if emergency strikes
Thursday, February 17, 2022
By ASHLYN CAMPBELL The Breeze
Over the past month, several universities both close to home and across the nation have experienced several public safety emergencies. What do you do when an emergency happens at JMU? According to JMU’s safety plan, if there’s an active shooter or hostile intruder on campus, students should follow the RUNHIDE-FIGHT method. First, evacuate with an escape route in mind. Then, hide in an area outside of the shooter’s view. Fight the shooter only as a last resort “when your life is in imminent danger,” with as much physical aggression as possible. While JMU’s emergency preparedness website has several safety plans that are geared toward informing the public in case of emergency, Mary-Hope Vass, executive director of communications and university spokesperson, said JMU has “tactical plans for police operations that are not as public.” JMU’s emergency plans come from a collaboration between the university and Harrisonburg leaders. Mark Young, director of emergency services management at JMU, said that while the decision may land on his desk, the plans are sent to several departments to make sure everyone has a “buy-in” to the usefulness of the plans. Vass said the Harrisonburg City Council, Rockingham County Board of Supervisors and the JMU Board of Visitors all review and approve the emergency operations plan at JMU. “Certainly after any incident — not just locally but nationwide — these folks are constantly reviewing the lessons learned from that,” Vass said. Vass and Anthony Matos, chief of JMU police, said university officials at JMU work closely with first responders in the area. Matos said he meets with first responder leaders like the Harrisonburg chief of the police and fire department every week to discuss recent events and possible responses and weaknesses in plans they may find. The preparation for emergencies involves collaboration both in the community and across the state; JMU works with other Virginia schools to make sure it has the best possible safety plans in place, Matos said.
“I think we always try and benchmark ourselves off of the best practices that we see in other institutions,” Matos said, “but just because it works at one institution doesn’t mean it’s going to work here at JMU.” University emergency plans and communications have to follow several federal laws, like the Clery Act, which requires colleges to report “campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put into place to improve campus safety.” Young said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires universities to evaluate emergency plans once an academic calendar, and policy has to be implemented or changed every two to three years. Although FEMA requires a review of emergency plans once a year, Vass and Matos said the plans are reviewed more often than required by law. “It’s not just a document that we do once or twice a year and put it on a shelf and we leave it there,” Matos said. “It’s an actual living, breathing document that we always work to improve upon because we know the importance of safety on this campus and in this community.” Alongside the safety plans, JMU also has several different types of emergency notifications, including email and text notifications, an audible siren, messages sent through the LiveSafe app, and updates through the website and social media.
When emergencies happen on JMU’s campus, Matos said, the emergency information will be sent out through Rave Emergency Notification System. “It all depends on the incident,” Matos said. “That’s where people start to get a little concerned or feel like the information isn’t flowing. If it’s not an emergency incident here on campus … it will be pushed out through other methods.” The Rave system is connected through MyMadison, where students can choose to receive emergency communications. The last time an emergency message was sent out, Matos said, 28,000 students, faculty and staff were signed up. Young said that over the past two weeks, due to the shootings at Bridgewater College and Virginia Tech, JMU has been inundated with emails asking about plans concerning safety on campus, which provides an opportunity to keep everyone informed and raise preparedness for emergency situations. “Thank God [everyone’s] attention is
“Thank God [everyone’s] attention is raised. We hate how it happened, but we’re glad that the lights are on because now’s the time for us … to push the knowledge for you all to soak it up.” Mark Young
Director of Emergency Services Management
raised,” Young said. “We hate how it happened, but we’re glad that the lights are on because now’s the time for us … to push the knowledge for you all to soak it up.” Matos cautioned everyone to be wary of “non-authenticated communication channels” and to rely on public safety channels to get official emergency information. Vass said this time was an opportunity for the JMU community to become more aware of emergency safety plans. “I would just say that now is a really good time to visit the website and make sure that you personally have a plan in place,” Vass said. “While we certainly hope that something like this never happens on campus, I think now’s the time to really be prepared when the event is not happening.” Matos encouraged students, organizations, faculty and staff to reach out for training for emergency preparedness like the RUNHIDE-FIGHT method and RAD self-defense classes (Rape Aggression Defense System). “What we’ve been talking about is paramount — know what to do in emergency situations, know that your public safety teams, your communication teams: We are here for you,” Matos said. CONTACT Ashlyn Campbell at breezenews@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.
7
NEWS
Hearing for alleged Bridgewater shooter focuses on sanity Defense atty. suggests possible schizophrenia By JAKE CONLEY The Breeze
The debate in court Feb. 16 centered on one linchpin: accused gunman Alexander Wyatt Campbell’s sanity. At the second hearing for Campbell, who’s accused of killing two officers at Bridgewater College, Judge John Stanley Hart Jr. granted a motion by Campbell’s defense attorney to have Campbell’s sanity medically evaluated. “Counsel has significant concern that Mr. Campbell suffers from a mental health disability,” Gene Hart, Campbell’s attorney, said in court. Hart (no relation to Judge Hart Jr.), a courtappointed attorney, told the court that Campbell may have undiagnosed schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia can include delusions, hallucinations and extremely disordered thinking, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to court records, Campbell, 27, is facing charges of first-degree murder; aggravated murder of a law enforcement officer; aggravated murder of multiple persons; aggravated murder of multiple persons within a three-year period; and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The case is being heard in the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham General District Court. The evaluation requested and granted will be examining the state of Campbell’s sanity at the
time of the incident. Hart asked that a motion for competency — evaluating a defendant’s ability to understand the charges against them and assist in their defense — though previously filed, be tossed out, leaving only the motion for an evaluation of Campbell’s sanity. Commonwealth Attorney Marcia Garst, representing the prosecution in the case, said that while she wasn’t seeking to block the motion’s granting, she saw no evidence of a lack of sanity in Campbell the day of the shooting. Garst based this assessment, she said, off video footage and statements from Campbell taken by police officers the day of the incident. “All I’m asking,” Garst said, “is that probable cause be found.” Citing that the court has often granted similar motions before on request by the defense attorney and not hearing intense disagreement from the Commonwealth, Judge Hart Jr. granted the motion. According to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Campbell’s mother told the Times-Dispatch that Campbell is “mentally ill.” Campbell, in the courtroom via video conference, sat silently, expressionless, as he listened to the lawyers debate his sanity. Campbell is accused of entering Bridgewater’s campus on Feb. 1 at approximately 1:20 p.m. behind Memorial Hall. The gunman fatally shot Campus Security Officer J.J. Jefferson and Campus Police Officer John Painter. Campbell was taken into custody 30 minutes later.
Gene Hart, Bridgewater College shooter Alexander Wyatt Campbell’s attorney, told the court that Campbell may have undiagnosed schizophrenia. Breeze file photo
The college confirmed that Campbell attended Bridgewater College from 2013-17 and that Campbell was a member of Bridgewater’s track team. Campbell is now being held without bond at the Rockingham County Jail. The investigation is being conducted by the Virginia State Police (VSP) Bureau of Investigations at the Culpeper County field office. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) are assisting the VSP with the investigation, according to a statement by VSP spokeswoman Corinne Geller at a press conference the night of the shooting. Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court records show that Campbell was previously charged in 2017 with entering the Kline Center on Bridgewater College’s campus
with the intention to commit assault and battery or other crimes. The charge was amended to a misdemeanor of trespassing after having been forbidden. Records also show that Campbell faced a later-dismissed charge for stealing merchandise from the Bridgewater College bookstore. The court has granted a 90-day window for the mental health evaluation to determine the state of Campbell’s sanity at the time of the shooting. Judge Hart Jr. scheduled the next hearing to review the results of the evaluation for May 18 at 10:30 a.m. CONTACT Jake Conley at breezeeditor@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.
6
9 9 $
N E K C I CH ICH COMBO SANDW ™
Thursday, February 17, 2022
8
NEWS
Signs of growth SGA Bill of Opinion seeks American Sign Language expansion By SARAH FOSTER contributing writer
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Bailey Kramarik said she signs American Sign Language (ASL) with a southern twang. “There are different accents in ASL, different regional dialects, and it is so much more complex than I think people outside of the Deaf community and outside of ASL recognize,” Kramarik, senior and ASL Club president, said. Partnering with ASL club and other organizations, the Student Government Association (SGA) is promoting a Bill of Opinion to expand students’ access to ASL and prioritize hiring people from the Deaf community throughout JMU’s ranks. “Anybody who wants to take ASL [classes] should have access to take ASL,” Kramarik said. “I’ve known people trying to get into it for four years, and they still haven’t.” In addition to increasing the ASL courses offered at JMU, the bill seeks to establish ASL as a foreign language option for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Daniel Gaffin, the sophomore academic affairs chairman for SGA and principal writer of the bill, said the bill’s other goals include allowing ASL credits to transfer from other universities, eventually creating an ASL minor and allowing students of all grade levels to take ASL. ASL courses are currently offered to upperclassmen only. The Breeze asked JMU’s Office of the Provost why this is but didn’t receive a response by deadline. “This is the biggest push we’ve had for ASL in a while,” Gaffin said. “It’s the JMU community
coming together behind one common goal.” Gaffin said Bills of Opinion, like the ASL bill, begin with writing and editing by members of SGA — Gaffin worked closely with freshman SGA member Faith Forman. Once a bill is finished, it has to get 200 signatures from the student body before being voted on by the SGA senate. After passing a vote in the senate, the bill is sent out for more signatures — at least 10% of the student body, or about 2,100 signatures, are needed for the bill to continue. As of Feb. 16, Gaffin said the bill had 1,488 signatures total, with 956 of them being students. “I mean, I’m always checking that signature count all the time,” Gaffin said. “It’s a really humbling experience.” If the bill gains enough signatures, it’ll return to the SGA senate for one more vote. It will then be distributed to a variety of authorities, including Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Coltman, President Jonathan Alger, the Virginia House of Delegates, the Virginia Senate and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Noting the timeframe of the process, Gaffin said he hopes for change within two years. Victoria Tartivita, junior and ASL club vice president, said she’s in awe of the support the bill is getting from non-students. “It shows how valid this endeavor is to really incorporate ASL and the Deaf community into JMU, and so it’s really reassuring to know that we do have outside supporters,” Tartivita said. Tartivita, who was diagnosed as Deaf at age 4 and received cochlear implants at ages 5 and 6, said she didn’t have the opportunity to learn
ASL or interact with the Deaf community as she grew up. “That is a part of my identity that I do want to explore that is really important to me,” Tartivita said. “I still want to learn American Sign Language … I really want to become more of a part of the Deaf community.” According to the 2021-22 Undergraduate Catalog, JMU only offers two courses that teach ASL: Introduction to Sign Language (CSD 420) and Sign Language II (CSD 421). Only CSD 420 is being offered this semester. Becky Hales, a doctoral student studying audiology at JMU who currently teaches CSD 420, said she has a vision for the expansion of JMU’s ASL curriculum. “I would like to see this university develop a Professions in Deafness curriculum and major,” Hales said. “We are 30 minutes away from [Virginia’s School for the Deaf and Blind], so it just makes sense that we should have a program like that.” Hales is hearing but has a degree in Deaf education from UNC Greensboro and worked for eight years with children who are Deaf and children with multiple disabilities. Though not Deaf herself, she said JMU needs more Deaf professors and professors with disabilities overall. “You need professors who have those experiences to …. share different perspectives,” Hales said. “It’s not right to just have people from a majority group teaching what people in a minority group want.” Gaffin said the bill will help further JMU’s work toward establishing DEIJ (Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion and Justice). “Everyone kind of sees DEIJ as just race, and it’s more than that; disability is a big impact of that,” Gaffin said. “I’ve learned so much in the last two weeks writing this bill — how important their culture is and how undervalued their culture is.” Kramarik, communication sciences and disorders major, said she was first exposed to Deaf culture in Texas in eighth grade. Her teacher was Deaf, and Kramarik wasn’t allowed to speak in class — she had to pick up the language quickly. After moving to Virginia and taking ASL classes in high school, she noticed some of the signs she learned in Texas varied from ones she saw in Virginia, giving her a southern accent when she signs. “I was really grateful that I got the opportunity to become immersed in the culture, history and language because I for sure would not be anywhere near as proficient as I am now without that experience,” Kramarik said. Through supporting the bill, Kramarik said, she hopes to extend such experiences with ASL to others. “It’s rich and beautiful,” Kramarik said. “This bill is bigger than any one student, faculty member or organization. It’s about community and building inclusion … even if it’s just starting at JMU’s campus.” CONTACT Sarah Foster at foste4sc@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.
JMU offers two courses that teach ASL to upperclassmen only: Introduction to Sign Language (CSD 420) and Sign Language II (CSD 421). Matt Young / The Breeze
9 NEWS
Thursday, February 17, 2022
OPINION EDITOR Jacob Carter
10
EMAIL breezeopinion@gmail.com
@Breeze_Opinion
Inner campus congestion Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts & Pats is the place to do it. Submit your own at breezejmu.org.
JMU’s on-campus transportation leaves unnecessary burden on students
STOP
An “anger-management” dart to the Duke Dog for kicking a Starship robot. From an observant future Duke.
Jacob Carter / The Breeze
A “keeping-up-withthe-times” pat to student discounts at popular publications. From an informed reader. EVAN WEAVER | twenty four sevan
A “stood-up” dart to my friends who don’t come to class when I save them a seat. From someone who’s unintentionally lonely. A “sign-here” pat to Tyler from CarMax for hooking me up with a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan. From someone whose car is now her best friend.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
A “support-localjournalism” pat to the first all-female Boy Scout troop in Waynesboro for getting their Journalism Merit Badges. From The Breeze staff.
Editorial Policies The Breeze 1598 S. Main Street Harrisonburg, VA 22801
C a m p u s transportation at JMU is limited and can serve as a catalyst for student stress about getting to class on time. While the university accommodates alternative transportation methods as a supplement for a lacking shuttle system, these methods aren’t free. JMU needs to bolster these formal transportation methods to reduce the burden on students. JMU’s campus covers 721 acres and spans over one mile from Rose Library to the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts and farther away to Memorial Hall. Because of its size, JMU offers transportation for students to commute to and from classes in the 20 minutes between them. This is achieved primarily through the inner campus shuttle (ICS), which travels in a loop between the East and West sides of campus divided by Interstate 81. The ICS oftentimes runs behind schedule, and with limited seating and high demand, it’s proving to be an often inadequate option for commuting to class for students. Sophomore Kaylee Wenger said she’s displeased with how the buses have been operating recently. “The buses seem pretty unreliable this year,” Wenger said. “I know several people who were late to class because of them being off schedule. At the beginning of the semester, I waited for over 30 minutes before one finally came and was almost late for class.” Alternative campus-bound methods of travel include last-mile transportation
options. Last-mile transportation is a concept that’s accompanied the rise of electric personal transportation vehicles such as Bird scooters, Boosted Boards and Onewheel skateboards. These are vehicles that can traverse the last leg of a journey toward a given destination. Considering larger vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses are limited to wide passages, they aren’t always ideal for compact cities and college campuses. Last-mile transportation options on campus include a smattering of Bird Scooters and the like, as well as locations outside of campus buildings to secure student-provided bicycles, which can be expensive and difficult to store. Some students have taken advantage of the increased popularity and diversity of electric personal transportation vehicles to travel to and from classes. The vast majority of students, however, resort to walking instead. Walking between classes is oftentimes a cumbersome task given the volatility of Virginia’s weather and the relatively hilly terrain that JMU’s campus resides. These adverse conditions are exacerbated when classes on opposite sides of campus are scheduled together. Students face a dilemma, considering the prohibitively expensive personal transportation vehicle options and an inconsistent ICS. The most accessible and convenient personal transportation option at JMU may often be a Bird scooter. Students can unlock and ride one to their desired destination and simply leave it there. They aren’t free, however, costing an initial $1 to unlock the
scooter and $0.15 per minute of riding. For students who want to buy a transportation vehicle, the entry price of a Boosted Board, which has recently gone out of business, was $749, while a Onewheel skateboard is $1,050. She also discussed the recent change by JMU to reduce the amount of time between classes from 25 minutes last semester to 20 minutes this semester — and the difficulty that has caused. “[The 20-minute window is] especially hard if you have to go across campus in that time regardless of whether you’re riding the bus or walking,” Wenger said. “It’s hard to focus in class when you’re worrying about how you’ll make it to your next class on time.” Reducing the stressors in students’ experience at JMU is vital for promoting a positive educational environment on campus. Ensuring students have sufficient and adequate options for transportation and alleviating the worry of getting to and from classes on time would significantly help achieve that goal. The burden of revamping the ICS falls jointly on JMU Parking and Transit Services and JMU students. Careful monitoring and management of driver training and route timing, as well as students efficiently loading and getting off shuttles, would help reduce much of the stress on the ICS, allowing it to perform more consistently.
The Breeze welcomes and encourages readers to voice their opinions through letters and guest columns. Letters must be no longer than 250 words. Guest columns must be no more than 650 words.
The Breeze reserves the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and if material is libelous, factually inaccurate or unclear. The Breeze assumes the rights to any published work. Opinions expressed in this page, with the exception of editorials, are not necessarily those of The Breeze or its staff.
Letters and guest columns should be submitted in print or via e-mail and must include name, phone number, major/year if author is a current student (or year of graduation), professional title (if applicable) and place of residence if author is not a JMU student.
CONTACT Evan Weaver at weavereh@
dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @Breeze_Opinion.
11
OPINION
Money talks Spotify’s support of Joe Rogan comes at consumers’ expense MIA HAZELDINE-ROSS | mia’s ideas have serious long-term effects. If Spotify keeps going in this direction, creators who can afford to may pull their work from the platform, and socially conscious consumers may cancel their subscriptions. Stockholders could take this poorly, and Spotify could end up in even deeper water than it is right now. “I see the best public relations response from Spotify as one that looks to their long-term reputation and societal impact rather than short-term financial outcomes and loss of their investment in Rogan,” Capizzo said. To many, this situation may be a simple issue of free speech, but realistically, Spotify would be rightfully able to remove Joe Rogan from the platform. “Private corporations deplatforming sources of dangerous misinformation should not be equated with government censorship,” JMU political science professor David Jones said. “Citizens are also free to pressure Spotify and other media corporations to drop or reign in sources like Rogan.” The First Amendment specifically protects citizens from censorship by the government and doesn’t apply to private businesses or companies. Spotify does include a link to accurate information on COVID-19 on “The Joe Rogan Experience” but makes no mention that the podcast is responsible for spreading misinformation. At the very least, Spotify should’ve put a disclaimer on Rogan’s coverage of COVID-19 so as not to mislead consumers. Spotify has undoubtedly handled the situation poorly, but there’s still time for the company to make up for its mistakes. Removing “The Joe Rogan Experience” from the platform is the right thing to do, but if the platform is determined to focus on its short-term gains and keep the podcast available, it should turn its attention toward damage control. Shilling out token acts that mean nothing to the consumer isn’t enough. That means putting up a disclaimer and explaining the company’s reasoning, even if that means admitting some mistakes along the way, and also allocating a proportional set of resources to apologize for its actions. It’ll take some creative problem-solving to adequately address the issue, but in the long run, this is an issue that matters to consumers, so it should matter to the company, too.
Rogan has falsely asserted the vaccine changes one’s genes; Ivermectin, a type of animal dewormer, can cure COVID-19; and the vaccine is more dangerous for children than COVID-19. Screengrab from PowerfulJRE YouTube channel
CONTACT
Mia Hazeldine-Ross at hazeldmg@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @Breeze_Opinion.
Spotify has seen a 196% increase in traffic to the app’s cancellation page in the last month, according to CNN. Courtesy of Tribune News Service
Thursday February 17, 2022
Over the past month, Spotify’s cancellation page has increased in traffic 196%, according to CNN, after popular folk-rock singer Neil Young pulled his music from the platform. Young’s decision was a response to Spotify’s continued support of Joe Rogan, the host of the controversial podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which has spread dangerous misinformation about COVID-19. Spotify’s insistence on upholding Rogan’s content on its platform only perpetuates the dissemination of this misinformation, putting its priority of money over public safety on full display. Rogan has falsely asserted the vaccine changes one’s genes; Ivermectin, a type of animal dewormer, can cure COVID-19; and the vaccine is more dangerous for children than COVID-19 itself. These are all claims that, if taken seriously, pose a setback to the U.S.’s handling of the pandemic. While Spotify said the increase hasn’t significantly affected its bottom line, the company’s damaged reputation poses a threat to stockholders who could potentially pull their financial investments if the issue isn’t adequately resolved. Several other artists, including Joni Mitchell and India Arie, have also decided to boycott Spotify in the time since Young first spoke out. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” wrote Mitchell on her website. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.” Spotify has negotiated with Rogan to remove several racially insensitive episodes of his podcast, but false information and conspiracy theories about the pandemic remain available. The company also committed $100 million, the same amount it paid for the rights to Rogan’s podcast, to create audio content from “historically marginalized groups.” Though, this amount is nothing compared to the money Spotify generates from podcasts like Rogan’s. “Folks are tired of empty words, and companies can make a larger impact by being transparent and consistent with real support, significant funding and meaningful policy changes to address issues,” Luke Capizzo, JMU assistant communication studies professor, said. Financially, keeping Rogan’s podcast may be beneficial in the short term, but the damage to Spotify’s reputation will
e Jacob Carter / The Breez
12
OPINION
Executive mistakes
Youngkin’s first orders as governor only harm students ANNIE MCGOWAN | contributing writer Newly elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-Va.) first policies in office are making Virginia’s COVID-19 policies weaker and putting students at a higher risk of contraction. Youngkin released his first executive orders Jan. 15, which dictate that public university staffers are allowed to not disclose their vaccination status. This is a huge setback for those who want the pandemic to end. Rockingham County has a 60% vaccination rate, per Knox News. With
this slim majority of the population and the mix of local residents and students in public spaces like football games, downtown nightlife and in the university spheres, it leaves the population extremely vulnerable to the virus. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was the first Virginia university to put this order in effect, ending the vaccine disclosure at its institution. In a Jan. 18 press release, VCU stated: “Employees are not required to be vaccinated, receive a booster or to report their vaccination status to the university. COVID-19 surveillance testing and daily health checks are also no longer required
Youngkin’s executive order heightens the possibility of contracting COVID-19 in classrooms, even though JMU’s faculty vaccination rate is 90.6% as of Jan. 6. Courtesy of Tribune News Service
for VCU employees.” JMU soon followed, as seen on its employee COVID-19 requirements FAQs. Staff members at JMU are no longer required to disclose if they’re vaccinated or have gotten the booster shot. JMU has 19,550 undergraduate students as of fall 2021, most of whom now have inperson classes. Considering Youngkin’s executive order, this leaves the possibility of contracting COVID-19 in classrooms, even though JMU’s faculty vaccination rate is 90.6%, as of Jan. 6. It’s also unfair to the employees of JMU, as they have no idea if the people they’re closely working with are vaccinated or not. S o ph o mo re Caitlin McGeehan has concerns about having mask and vaccine mandates lifted on the university scale. “It is not necessarily a direction that our JMU Sophomore state should be going in,” McGeehan said. “Mandatory vaccines have existed for quite a while now and, for the most part, have been accepted by the general public as beneficial. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are getting full FDA approval, I do not see why they shouldn’t be mandatory.” I personally don’t feel comfortable having in-person classes in the first place, so the idea of being in a room with someone who purposely chooses not to get vaccinated is extremely discouraging, especially if they turn out to be the
instructor or the person handling my food in the dining halls. “The vaccine has been proven to be the most effective at preventing severe illness, and if we ever want this pandemic to end, we should not be shying away from making a stronger push for vaccination,” McGeehan said. At this point, it’s not a question of whether or not you get COVID-19 — it’s when. Youngkin’s signing of this executive order is only deterring people from getting the vaccine, which will only extend the pandemic. His strictly conservative views aren’t doing Virginia communities justice. Instead, they’re harming them by purposely hiding important information. This pandemic isn’t an individual problem but a collective one. Thankfully, JMU encourages the vaccines for all employees, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t matter if the institution encourages them or not if action isn’t taken. Youngkin’s first executive order was a disappointing start to his time as Virginia governor, as he’s pushing back the health of the Commonwealth.
“The vaccine has been proven to be the most effective at preventing severe illness, and if we ever want this pandemic to end, we should not be shying away from making a stronger push for vaccination.”
Thursday February 17, 2022
Caitlin McGeehan
CONTACT
Annie McGowan at mcgow3ca@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @Breeze_Opinion.
BUSINESS EDITOR Filip De Mott
13
EMAIL breezembr@gmail.com
@BreezeMBR
Score big It’s never too soon to start building up good credit By FILIP DE MOTT The Madison Business Review
A few technicalities Consumers may be as young as 18 years old to get approved for a credit card but would need to have some income source — or a co-
Since the start of the pandemic, credit card debt has decreased across all age groups. Screen grab from Creditcards.com
signer — if under the age of 21, according to WTOP News. When applying, customers should pay attention to the annual percentage rates (ARP), fees and policies attached to the card. ARP is best seen as the interest that a lender can set on loans. Fees differ in that they’re permanent regardless of when the bill is paid off. According to CNBC, these include annual and late fees. Generally, the aim of any credit card holder is to improve their score for better loan limits in the future. Fair Isaac Co. (FICO) scores in the U.S. are basically analogous to credit scores and one of the most commonly used measures. According to Investopedia, FICO scores range from 300-850 and can be broken down into five main components: payment history, amount owed, length of credit history, new credit and credit mix — or the amount of diversity in credit type, ranging from car to loans to mortage.
Building credit as a student Many younger consumers should expect rejection when applying for the typical credit card, though this isn’t to say credit cards have no presence on college campuses. In 2018,
57% of undergraduates had one, as reported by WalletHub. According to NerdWallet, students have the option of getting a “student” credit card or even a “secured” one, which requires a collateral cash deposit in the case that the applicant can’t pay off their debt. Meanwhile, student cards come with less strict scores or income requirements but offer lower credit limits with little added benefit. If a student is rejected, there are still other options. Young consumers can find a co-signer or become an “authorized user,” which is where the user’s credit card is tied to someone else’s credit. Otherwise, students can use other services to record statistics like rent and utility payments in lieu of a credit score. Even student loans are a form of credit history and can be found at AnnualCreditReport.com if needed.
What to be careful for One should understand that signing up for a credit card also means signing up for extra responsibility. Not understanding this can result in a worsened score and the potential for considerable debt.
While cards usually come with a grace period — that is, a time in which interest won’t accumulate on credit purchases — users should get in the habit of paying off their monthly bills on time to limit the effect of any interest and build up their score. Ignoring interest can worsen with time, as it has the capacity to compound. On top of that, ARP can also grow if the user’s reputation for paying off bills is bad. Meanwhile, as reported by Credit Card Insider, things to avoid also include maxing out a credit card and applying for new credit soon after getting approved. Not only does this look poorly to a bank but it can accumulate debt that’s hard to pay in the future. Instead, WTOP News recommends using less than 30% of one’s credit limit. Most important, however, is consistency. Not only will years of good credit be notable to loaners, but it’ll also attract the attention of employers and renters. Starting now can open doors to a brighter future.
CONTACT Filip at demottfs@dukes.jmu. edu. He is a media arts and design and international affairs major.
Thursday February 17, 2022
In the U.S., credit cards might be as American as apple pie. According to Shift Process, Americans owned 1.89 billion credit cards in the U.S. in 2019 — more than half of the 2.8 billion cards in circulation. Meanwhile, 2020 statistics from Forbes show that 79% of Americans owned at least one credit card, making those without one a considerable minority. None of this is to say one needs a credit card to be a functioning member of U.S. society. After all, credit is easily the backbone of U.S. debt, which, according to The Balance, reached $1 trillion in 2019. In Virginia alone, the average debt is $5,992. Still, there are some things that could incentivize one to get a credit card. Building up a good credit score early will signal to banks that an individual can be relied upon when it comes to loans — something handy for renting a house or purchasing a car, to name a few examples. Developing this as a student can mean easier approval sooner in life. According to Forbes, credit cards also come with the added benefit of fraud protection, as it’s easier for banks to halt a purchase that didn’t require the immediate transfer of actual funds. They can also provide a consumer with emergency funds without cutting into one’s savings. Credit cards can also outshine debit cards with their reward programs, a benefit that seems to be the leading cause for their popularity — per Statistica, the majority of survey respondents from 2019 got a credit card due to the attached reward earnings. But how does one start their credit score journey? Here are a few things to know:
CULTURE
EDITORS
Amy Nee
Amy Needham & Charlotte Matherly
14
EMAIL thebreezeculture@gmail.com
@Breeze_Culture
d m ha
he /T
Br eeze
The ‘Burg and the bees
Local business owner advocates for city to allow beekeeping
Thursday, February 17, 2022
By EMMA JOHNSON The Breeze
beekeeping, Knapp said. City Council member George Hirschmann said this is due to a potential fear of honeybees among Why are we afraid of bees? Is it the stingers? The Harrisonburg citizens. “I would suspect people were afraid bulging eyes? The buzzing sound around your head as you try to enjoy a summer afternoon? Regardless of bees,” Hirschmann said, “and yet of humanity’s fears, Tom Knapp finds these small, you talk to Tom, and it’s quite a safe operation.” black-and-yellow pollinators fascinating. Knapp began expanding his Knapp began his beekeeping operation 10 years ago when he noticed honey bees at his home and newfound passion by assisting decided to experiment with how many he could people in the area with removing swarms that would form in their attract. “I had put an empty Mountain Dew can in the houses. Once the swarm is removed, Knapp recycling ,and I saw a honeybee on it,” Knapp said. allows the bees to relocate to one of his hives, a process that mutually benefits the customer and “I thought, well, that’s interesting.” Soon enough, Knapp had hundreds of bees the bees. Knapp’s hives serve as safe houses for traveling to his house, feeding on sugar water in a honeybees, acting as a safer and more natural saucer outside of his office. Knapp then acquired alternative for them as opposed to someone’s an actual hive, installing it in his home office where home. The demand for swarm removal grew it still functions — the first of 25 hives he has today. rapidly, pushing Tom to transform his hobby into Despite honeybees’ presence in Harrisonburg, a business and trademark it as an LLC. As the business grew, Knapp recruited an there are no provisions in the city ordinances about extra set of hands to help assist him with social media and online outreach. Kristin Knapp, Tom’s wife, began documenting Tom’s beekeeping journey through an Instagram account, @knappsbees. “It was a better response than I thought it would be,” Kristin said. “From there, we just kept getting people following us, and there was no pressure because we weren’t trying to sell anything.” Now, Knapp’s Bees sells a couple-hundred pounds of wax per year. The business also pollinates for Hobbit Hill Farm and sells honey directly to the Virginia Mennonite Retirement community. Honey and wax can also be bought online Knapp has 25 hives, which have averaged about 8,000 bees per hive this year. Courtesy of @knappsbees on Instagram through its website.
However, Kristin remained hesitant about being more hands-on with the bees. “I had a healthy respect for being stung, but this was never my plan,” Kristin said. “You just can’t help being really interested in them.” While she’s an animal lover, Kristin said, beekeeping just wasn’t “her thing.” Her mind quickly changed, however, after she accompanied Tom on one of his excursions to a swarm. “I went along once and it was fun, so I just kept going,” Kristin said. “I soon learned, if you’re around Tom long enough, that they’re fascinating.” Kristin said she’s more interested in the environmental and sustainability aspect of beekeeping. She’s currently starting up her own hives, partnering with Simple Hill Orchard to help the orchard with pollinating its plants. Tom’s 25 hives have averaged about 8,000 bees per hive this year. Honey bees will maintain an approximated 2.5-mile radius around their hive, allowing Tom to cover the majority of Harrisonburg with his hives. Despite honeybees’ ubiquitous presence, Tom said some people remain scared of them. However, most who say they’ve been stung by a bee have actually been stung by a yellowjacket. “People say, ‘I got stung and I’m allergic,’ which is usually not true,” Tom said. “I get stung 10-50 times a year, and it hurts every time, but it swells up like a mosquito bite and then goes away — that’s not an allergy.” People are more likely to have a peanut allergy than an allergy to honeybees, Tom said. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 2.5% of children in the U.S. are affected by a peanut allergy. On the contrary, between 0.4%-0.8% of children are susceptible to an insect allergy in the U.S. Tom said his hobby is fueled by the need to protect our world’s pollinators from trouble. “I’m a beekeeper, but I see myself more as a bee advocate,” Tom said. “To say that we don’t allow them is to say we don’t allow oxygen.” Tom’s backyard has served as a playground for
the neighborhood children during the pandemic. In 10 years, he said, he doesn’t know of anyone who’s been stung by his bees. To make his passion legal, Tom met with the Harrisonburg City Council last fall to suggest a policy that would allow beekeeping within the city’s limits. Hirschmann said that for the city to approve this documentation, a presentation outlining the benefits of beekeeping will need to be conducted in addition to Knapp’s proposal. “I would think if [Tom] made a proposal as far as beekeeping, it would get the OK,” Hirschmann said. “I don’t think there will be enough opposition on the Council to not pass it.” However, Tom said he doesn’t know how long it will take for the documentation to be approved and finalized after it’s presented. “No idea,” Tom said. “I do have at least 11 neighbors willing to comment in favor of bees though.” Despite this progress, the policy to allow beekeeping hasn’t been opened for public comment yet, which Tom believes is when the opposition will come. “I’m sure some people will just freak out,” Hirschmann said, “but other people will have a little more common sense.” For now, Tom continues to spread encouraging messages about honeybees and their benefit to the community, going door-to-door asking for support through positive public comments. “What I’m really doing is selling my expertise on how to take them out of homes without harming them,” Tom said. “I hope to continue educating people and working with the city to allow beekeeping.” For Tom, it’s a passion of love and education, he said. “This isn’t what pays any bills,” Tom said. “I do this for fun.” CONTACT Emma Johnson at johns7ek@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.
First steps, lasting impact
CULTURE
15
Black history through the ages at JMU
1966 Sheary Darcus Johnson First known Black female student to graduate
Furious Flower Poetry Center First Black academic poetry center
Byron Bullock First director of CMSS
1971
1990
Delta Sigma Theta First Black Greek-lettered organization chartered at JMU
JMU Black Alumni Chapter First alumni affiliate chapter
By MORGAN VUKNIC The Breeze
There are many notable first strides for Black history, students and communities at JMU. During this month especially, Black History Month, these achievements by Black faculty, students and alumni deserve to be celebrated. While JMU has made strides in its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the past few years, the university is still a primarily white institution (PWI) and has its fair share of shortcomings. In most areas of JMU, there’s a large gap in the number of Black faculty members compared to white faculty members. This gap in professors of color can be especially seen in the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. As of fall 2020, it’s the least diverse college on campus, with only 8.47% of full-time instructional faculty being people of color, according to the JMU Office of Institutional Research. Below is a list of Black firsts at JMU. These and other firsts can be found on the JMU’s website, where undergraduate students Zaria Heyward (’20) and Qyaira Colbert (’20) have created a complete timeline. The collective project was created for a fall 2019 course, “Black Studies and Black Spaces,’’ under the African, African American and Diaspora Studies minor. It’s been taken up by graduate student Megan Medeiros (’21) with editorial oversight by professors Mollie Godfrey, Besi Muhonja, Mary Beth Cancienne and Dolores Flamiano.
First known Black female graduate, Sheary Darcus Johnson
First Black Greek-lettered organization chartered at JMU
Delta Sigma Theta was founded in 1913 at Howard University, a historically Black university, with a mission of supporting the local community through volunteering at local soup kitchens and with organizations like Adopt a Highway. With a charter granted in 1971, Delta Sigma Theta became the first Black Greek-lettered organization at JMU, then called Madison College. The sorority is still present at JMU today and is housed in the Center for Multicultural Student Services (CMSS). Along with helping the community, Delta Sigma Theta focuses on member development, public service and helping the Black community. The sorority holds meetings covering topics such as dealing with stress from school and how to support each other as Black women. The group also regularly volunteers with events like 5Ks, winter clothes drives and awareness events for sickle cell disease, which affects one in 13 Black individuals.
First director of CMSS, Byron Bullock
When CMSS was founded in 1985, Byron Bullock became the first director of the Center. In this position, he established the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day at JMU, the JMU Academy for the Academic Achievement and Development of African American Males and the JMU Female Institute for Learning and Development. The JMU Male Academy and the Female Institute are summer programs offered by CMSS that provide students who are ninth to 12th graders the opportunity to live and learn on a college campus for two weeks. The programs aim to enrich the students’ academic and social development, according to the CMSS website. Although he’s no longer the CMSS director, Bullock helped make the Center into what it is today and has helped fulfill its mission, stated on its website, of supporting an “inclusive campus through dialogue, leadership experiences and cultural celebrations beyond the classroom that honor and value diverse identities.”
First alumni affiliate chapter, the JMU Black Alumni Chapter
The first alumni affiliate chapter at JMU, the Black Alumni Chapter (BAC), was founded in 1990. BAC
Gabbin Hall First building named after a Black couple
2019 David Owusu-Ansah First Black male associate provost
states on its website that its goal is to support the university in recruiting and retaining Black students and to foster positive relationships between Black students and alumni. The chapter also focuses on creating a lasting relationship between the school and alumni, according to the website. In its efforts to support the school and its students, BAC has established a scholarship fund for incoming freshmen.
First Black poetry center, the Furious Flower Poetry Center
English professor Joanne Gabbin first got the idea for the Furious Flower Poetry Center from the Furious Flower Poetry Conference, which she organized in 1984 as a way to honor poet Gwendolyn Brooks. After a second conference in 2004, the Furious Flower Poetry Center was chartered as an academic center at JMU. Opening in 2005, it became JMU’s — and the nation’s — first academic center for Black poetry. Since 2005, the Center has continued to grow and promote the inclusion and visibility of Black poets. As a way to achieve its goal of promoting Black poetry, the Center has donated its archives to JMU Special Collections. Furious Flower has recently been granted $2 million by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This grant will provide the Center with resources for archival description, digital preservation and global access to Furious Flower’s archive.
First Black male associate provost, David Owusu-Ansah
Before he became the first Black male associate provost in 2019, David Owusu-Ansah was the first Black graduate director in JMU’s Department of History, where he helped run the graduate school and, per his bio, is the director of the summer program in Ghana and a professor that focuses on modern Africa. As associate provost, Owusu-Ansah said he wanted to provide collaboration and coordination within academic affairs and across campus. Owusu-Ansah is also the chairman of the Provost Diversity Council and is a representative on the University Diversity Council. In these roles, he’s
responsible for promoting academic programs, policies and activities that will enhance diversity and cultivate inclusivity at JMU. A detailed look into Owusu-Ansah’s work with the Provost Diversity Council can be found in the Council’s year-end report. He’s also involved with President Jonathan Alger’s Inclusion Task Force, which involves guiding, recommending and advocating for academic affairs with the senior leadership team. Owusu-Ansah will be stepping down from his position as associate provost for diversity at the end of this spring semester. He said he’ll be stepping down now because of the creation of DEI leaders in every college on campus. In a Nov. 10 article for The Breeze, he stated in an email: “We have done a wonderful job and opened doors for the inclusion of many others to help with academic affairs diversity. In a way, the work has deepened, and after three years in the role of Associate Provost, it is only fair that I step back.”
First building named after a Black couple, Gabbin Hall
Both Gabbin and her husband, Alexander Gabbin, have achieved firsts at JMU: Joanne is the founder of the Furious Flower Poetry Center and was the first Black female director of the Honors College. Alexander became the first Black male director of accounting in 1994. While both have made long-lasting achievements throughout their own respective careers, the two are now the first Black couple to have a building named after them. In 2021, it was decided with recommendation from the Campus History Committee that Maury Hall would be renamed Gabbin Hall after Joanne and Alexander as a way to honor their contributions to JMU. While this isn’t a complete list of every Black first at JMU, it’s a highlight of some of the biggest ones. Readers can find the comprehensive project on JMU’s website. CONTACT Morgan Vuknic at vuknicma@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
After growing up in the area and attending Harrisonburg High School, Sheary Darcus Johnson decided to come to JMU in 1966, where she majored in library sciences and was a member of the concert choir and the library services fraternity, she said to The Breeze for a 2020 article. Darcus Johnson became JMU’s first Black female student, then the school’s first Black female graduate in 1970. She achieved another first when Justice Studies Hall — previously Jackson Hall — was renamed after her in 2021, making her the first Black JMU student to have a building in their name, according the timeline.
2021
2005
1985
16
CULTURE Photo courtesy of Jen Kulju
Provost pianist Review | JMU Provost Heather Coltman takes center stage at Forbes
Thursday, February 17, 2022
By ALEXANDER WEISMAN The Breeze
Quartets are inherently intimate — a barren stage inhabited by four musicians and a gazing audience — and what connects them is the music. The music did just that Feb. 8 with the Amernet String Quartet joined by Heather Coltman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at JMU, performing with gusto at the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. Opening with Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, the brooding introduction was a dramatic start to the night. The Amernet String Quartet played with a rich, blended sound that resonated throughout the hall, complementing the piece well. Although Coltman has played with the quartet before, including a 10-concert tour of Israel in 2016, she isn’t a permanent group member — although she very well could be. Some might’ve been puzzled by Coltman’s appearance on the program, but she has a long history with piano. Steeped in classical music as a child, Coltman credits her mother, who she said was a concert pianist, and her first teacher as major influences. “[Piano] was a very central part of my adolescence and [is] why I decided to major in music,” Coltman said. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Coltman said she participated in many competitions, traveling mostly through Europe and South Africa to perform before switching to higher education in her 30s. She taught piano at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) for 24 years, eventually working up to dean of FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. Along the way, she gained experience in administrative work, including forming the FAU marching band from scratch.
“Everything I did taught me more about the impact higher education can have, not only on students but on communities and on professions,” Coltman said. During the second movement, a wistful Andante, Coltman took center stage, bringing out the sweet sound of the piano while striking a delicate balance between her instrument and the strings. Finishing the work with an iconically playful Rondo, she showed off her technical prowess during the stormy middle section. “The three movements go through these
showed off the quartet’s versatility. After the performance, JMU senior Christopher King described his thoughts on the group. “Their bowings were exactly the same,” King said, referring to their bow articulation and musical approach. “Their strokes are the same. They brought out a lot of things in music that I had never heard before.” After a 15-minute intermission, the players continued with Schubert’s stately quartet in E flat major, D. 87. The quartet seemed to work as one unit, with their breathing — often used
“I love how at JMU, when artists come in, we really want them to work with students. They don’t just perform and then go home.” Heather Coltman
JMU provost & senior vice president for academic affairs phases of intense questioning and then reflecting and then resolving by being kind of playful,” Coltman said of the quartet in G minor. The next three pieces were performed exclusively by the Amernet String Quartet. Starting with Korngold’s Suite from “Much Ado About Nothing,” cellist Jason Colloway described it as embodying the “sound of the golden age of Hollywood.” With both a “post-romantic” and “animated” feel, as one audience member put it, the Korngold
as a way for players to communicate while performing — audible to the audience. Misha Vitenson, the first violin, was passionate, displaying sharp control and using a great deal of vibrato. Ending the concert was Shoenberg’s Quartet No. 0. Opening with a rustic Allegro Molto, the piece transitions to a more ghostly second movement that showed off violist Michael Klotz’s suave style. The final movement of the piece is declarative, with the quartet blending their sound while the
instruments remain individually present. The next day, members of the Amernet String Quartet held a workshop with JMU music students. Coltman said visiting artists create a special experience at JMU. “I love how at JMU, when artists come in, we really want them to work with students,” Coltman said. “They don’t just perform and then go home.” For sophomore music education major Briana Clark, the Feb. 9 workshop turned out to be her first masterclass. Playing for the first time on the Concert Hall stage solo, Clark said she was nervous. “My heart rate was 138 [beats per minute]; I measured it right before,” she said. Although Clark said she was anxious, she characterized it as a positive experience, eventually warming up to the quartet members on stage. “Once they started talking to me,” she said, “everything they said made sense.” “[The quartet] could tell that a lot of people are nervous, and when you’re nervous and you’re only thinking about the mistakes you’ll make, then you don’t play to your full potential,” Clark said. “You only get one shot.” For Coltman, embracing her experience as a pianist is central to who she is as an educator. As she said, “Let’s do what musicians do, which is respond in the moment to something that’s going on.” “You can be the star, you can be in the background and you can be everything when you’re a pianist,” Coltman said. “I really do think that translates as to what it is to be a leader … Your job is to tie it all together.” CONTACT Alexander Weisman at weismaar@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @ Breeze_Culture.
17
CULTURE
By the book
Only 1/2 mile South of JMU on Main St.
1476 South Main Street. Lorem Ipsum Harrisonburg, VA 22801
John Peterson (left) said his team wanted to write a textbook that a “variety of people” could use. Sarah Eccleston / The Breeze
JMU professors share the stories behind their textbooks By LUKE FREISNER contributing writer
CONTACT Luke Freisner at freisnlx@dukes. jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
One universal truth of the collegiate experience: textbooks. The absence of understandable and affordable textbooks is what inspired some JMU professors to do it themselves. Kurt Schick is a writing, rhetoric and technical communication (WRTC) professor and the director of first-year writing at JMU. Schick co-authored “So What? The Writer’s Argument” with Laura Miller, a fellow WRTC professor at JMU. Their book aims to teach the ins and outs of crafting an argumentative essay and is used to teach most WRTC 103 classes at JMU, in addition to classes offered at other universities nationwide. Schick said he was inspired to write his own textbook instead of using a preexisting one because there weren’t any that captured “completely what [he] wanted.” He recalled asking his graduate school supervisor for advice: “She said, ‘Someday, you may just need to write your own textbook,’ and of course I laughed.” Fast forward to 2013, and the first edition of “So What?” was published. The conversation then shifted to the pricing. Schick said faculty put a great deal of consideration into pricing as encouraged by the Commonwealth of Virginia and JMU. “In particular, what I would say is: If you’re going to have students buy a textbook, please use it,” Schick said. John Peterson, an associate professor and composition/theory area coordinator at JMU, did more than just consider price when setting out to craft his new curriculum. Peterson co-authored “Open Music Theory” alongside several other authors. The team had several goals in mind to make a textbook devoid of all the usual pitfalls of a textbook. “We wanted a book that was more general that a variety of people could use, not just those specific people who wrote it,” Peterson said. “Open Music Theory” is available to all students online and offers step-by-step explanations to educate aspiring musical artists of any experience level. “I sat down and calculated how much students were spending each year on textbooks,” Peterson said. “I thought that’s kind of wild [with] how much money we’re sending to the textbook companies.’” Peterson was determined to break the mold of making students pay when he could make an open access textbook that a student could use any place, any time, with wording that anyone could understand. “I have all the information myself,” Peterson
said. “If I can just sit down and distill it into something, I can save people a bunch of money and hopefully make college just a little bit more affordable for students.” His wish came true: “Open Music Theory” is completely free. Peterson’s final goal was his biggest motivator when putting pen to paper. He said the music studied in a theory classroom tends to be dominated by white, male composers, mostly because theory textbooks are predominantly written by that same demographic. A goal of his team, he said, was to include more repertoire from women and people of color rather than traditional figures like Mozart and Beethoven. Iris Leffler, a freshman music education major and member of the saxophone studio, said her textbook use varies from class to class with no clear correlation or trend. “I think it depends, really, on the class,” Leffler said. “It’s very frustrating that I have to spend that much on a book that we either use once or I don’t know [how often].” As a student of Peterson’s, Leffler expressed admiration for his decision to make “Open Music Theory” free of charge, calling it a weight off his shoulders. “Especially [with] it being my first semester of college, I was like, ‘Oh, thank goodness, not a theory textbook that I might only use for one semester,’” Leffler said. But what are the ethical implications of a teacher requiring students to pay for a textbook they make money from? To answer the question of the money he makes from his own book, Schick put it candidly: He said authors of books like his generally earn 10%-12%. “Since I co-authored it, Dr. Miller and I split it,” Schick said “It’s roughly $1 a book, so nothing to get rich on.” That said, “So What?” sits at the unusually low retail value of about $20 as opposed to the average textbook price of $84, according to The Education Data Initiative. Leffler had a different sentiment, however, when asked if it was ethical to make professorwritten books mandatory. “No,” Leffler said. “You’re already paying for college; you’re already paying for each individual class, and they’re getting paid to teach it. If they want to hawk their wares in their free time, be my guest.”
18
SPORTS
EDITORS Savannah Reger & Madison Hricik
EMAIL breezesports@gmail.com
@TheBreezeSports
Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill and JMU AD Jeff Bourne announce full membership for JMU. Cambria Lee / The Breeze
A sunny climate Analysis | What do Sun Belt fans think about realigment?
By MADISON HRICIK & SAVANNAH REGER The Breeze
“SBC will grow to be the most dominant Group of Five conference in the FBS as a byproduct of realignment.” It’s been over three months since JMU, Marshall, Old Dominion (ODU) and Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss.) announced their moves to the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). With the realignment details finalizing across all four schools, fans are waiting in anticipation for the next nugget of news. In the meantime, The Breeze created a survey analyzing fans’ thoughts across 709 viewers — including fans from the four new teams — on the biggest topics regarding the conference.
Demographics of responses
Of the 16 schools in the SBC, which schools had the most representation in the survey? 1: JMU: 178 respondents, 25.2% 2: Southern Miss.: 148 respondents, 20.9% 3: Marshall: 145 respondents, 20.5% Despite being the new squads to join the conference, the top three groups that responded to the survey were JMU, Southern Miss. and Marshall. Appalachian State finished fourth with 7.5%, but all of the new groups had a strong response rate. The schools missing from the survey response are University of Texas Arlington (UTSA), Louisiana Monroe and Texas State.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
How happy have you been with the Sun Belt’s realignment? On a scale from one to five, one being “very displeased” and five being “very pleased,” the top results are: Five: 568 respondents, 80.5% Four: 126 respondents, 17.8% Across the conference — not just JMU — the climate seems to be positive, with over 80% of respondents voting that the SBC handled realignment well. The No. 1 and No. 2 both had zero votes, while three had just over 1%. In football the conference will split into East and West divisions, and the incoming schools bring immediate talent that can win conference championships.
Which school's entrance are you most excited about?
Of the four new additions to the SBC, which school are you most excited to see join the conference? The final order is: 1: Marshall: 34.1% 2: Southern Miss.: 30.2% 3: JMU: 28.6% 4: ODU: 7.1% SBC fans kept it close for most of the voting, but Marshall took the crown for the most anticipated addition. SBC Commissioner Keith Gill has shared his enthusiasm for each school, but the Herd won the hearts of the fans. Marshall football went 7-6 in the 2021 season and went 14-11-3 in men's soccer.
Which sports are you looking forward to seeing next season? Of the SBC-sponsored sports, which sport(s) are you looking forward to seeing next season? The top results are: 1: Football: 88.1% 2: Baseball: 5.1% 3: Basketball: 3.1% Overwhelmingly, SBC fans are ready for a new season of football. JMU football brings in two FCS national championships as a dominant powerhouse, and ODU and Marshall have seen many bowl games as Conference USA (C-USA) members. Although softball didn’t make the top three, it came in behind basketball with 3% of the total votes.
How do you feel about the four schools joining a year early?
This question is phrased as a freeresponse question. The answers from the respondents are summarized below. 1: Very happy that the teams are coming at the earliest opportunity. 2: Excited that this is how the conference is but wish the transition was smoother. 3: This will be a great thing for Group of Five schools. Responses mentioned the words “excited,” “It’s about time,” and “Let’s do it”. The majority of the responses expressed optimism for the move, but others were cautious. Did the teams move too soon? Should they have kept their loyalties to other conferences?
What are you looking forward to with the East and West divisions?
This question was a free response for viewers to share as much input as they’d like on the topic. The top summarized responses are: 1: Bigger rivalries 2: SBC Championship games 3: Less travel to face opponents Nearly every response mentioned one of the above three points, with the majority going to rivalry games. Fans — particularly East division fans — are hopeful for a yearly JMU versus ODU game to become a major rivalry. In addition, the idea of a classic conference championship game is another selling point for fans. And who doesn’t love a shorter car ride to games?
What are your expectations for football schedule announcements March 1? This question is phrased as a freeresponse question. The answers from the respondents are summarized below. 1: Anticipation of full-league participation 2: Questions about how nonconference games will be affected 3: Expectations of intense divisions While most fans were happy about what the football schedules will look like, the respondents were shy to question how the nonconference schedules would work with four new teams. Appalachian State is scheduled to play Marshall as a nonconference game this fall, but there are questions over how it’ll count now. While the schedule breakdown won’t be known until March 1, there’s excitement over how the East and West divisions will shape up.
What are your expectations for men’s soccer rejoining the Sun Belt as a sponsored sport? With JMU, ODU and Marshall holding established men’s soccer programs, the SBC has reached the minimum number of six schools to sponsor the sport once again. This question was free response for viewers to give as much input as they’d like. The top responses are: 1: Excitement for higher competition 2: Hopeful of a national-ranked
conference for the sport 3: No opinion For men’s soccer fans, the news that the sport’s reinstatement is a big deal. To nonsoccer fans, they’re indifferent. Marshall brings in a 2020 national championship, and JMU made an Elite Eight appearance in 2018. However, the expectation for the sport in the SBC is that it’ll be competitive, and it’s a talking point already.
What are your thoughts on the CAA and C-USA?
This is a free response on the events regarding the CAA ban and the legal issues with C-USA. The top summarized responses are: 1: “Bitter, entitled, spiteful.” 2: The leadership needs to change 3: “Good thing we’re leaving” In overwhelming support of the schools, fans weren’t afraid to express their thoughts on the actions from C-USA and CAA. Both conferences caused national controversy since official announcements were made in November, and with threatening legal action from C-USA arising, fans are only growing more vocal.
How do you think the SBC will grow over the next five years?
This is a free response on fans’ personal projections to where the SBC will grow over the next five years. The top summarized results are: 1: It'll become the top Group of Five program 2: It'll add two more programs 3: It'll see better recruiting, bowl games and coverage SBC fans have high hopes for the conference and are looking for it to become the top non-Power 5 in the country. With the higher expectations come better bowl games, high-ranked recruiting prospects and primetime TV — exactly what the fans wanted at the start of the realignment wave. Full visual data breakdowns are available online at breezejmu.org/sports/.
CONTACT Madison Hricik and Savannah Reger at breezesports.gmail.com. For more realignment coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
19
SPORTS
Sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett practices in the batting cages. Photos by Matt Young / The Breeze
‘We take care of each other’ JMU softball prepares for the 2022 season with a young roster JMU softball’s season begins Saturday as the Dukes go to the Charlotte Invitational.
from HITTING HOME, page 1
LaPorte said. “We’ve taken a lot of things for granted as a staff in the last few years because our players just knew everything: [They] knew where to be when the ball was hit, knew where each other were. It’s completely opposite now because we even have people that never played the position before.” The Dukes take the field on Saturday for the first time since their loss to Oklahoma in the semifinals of the WCWS, but this team isn’t one from the trip in June — it’s one of the youngest in LaPorte’s tenure as head coach. “The difference between us going far in the postseason last year compared to past years was the chemistry,” LaPorte said. “Yes,
“We take care of each other. Just the whole being on your own and just being at college is the biggest thing for them, I think — just adapting to college life and experience.” Lauren Bernett
JMU softball sophomore catcher
we were very talented, but the team was so close, and I think that the upperclassmen understood that.” But, LaPorte said, the chemistry has come faster than in years past. LaPorte wasn’t shy to say that it’s been a problem for JMU typically, but this year, it’s solving itself. “It’s awesome to have a new group,” LaPorte said. “I think it’s important that people give us a little bit of time [to] develop.” Bermudez said watching and learning from Alexander improved her game. Now, she wants to give others that same opportunity. “We’ve done a lot of work outside of practice,” Bermudez said. “We’ve done a lot of collaborative work during practice … We’ve just shared learned experiences with them that might help.” When the team from the WCWS run met back up in Harrisonburg to be honored at Bridgeforth Stadium in November, the first stop was back at Veterans Memorial Park. The team got their rings, and they say everything the run stood for was on them. Bernett said what was written on the side of the rings was the most important part: selflessness. “I think everyone here plays for something bigger than themselves,” Humphery said, “whether it’s this community, whether it’s the girl to your right, the girl to your left, whether it’s someone in the stands.” CONTACT Savannah Reger at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more softball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
Thursday, February 17, 2022
One day, Bernett said, she texted Humphrey that she was starving and hadn’t eaten all day. Humphrey, whose bond with Bernett has grown over the past year, got her catcher a sandwich from Subway and put it inside her locker. Then, post-Media Day, sophomore pitcher Meredith Wells turned on her car. The headlights lit up, but it wasn’t just her inside — three other teammates hopped in with her, and she drove them home. “We take care of each other,” Bernett said. “Just the whole being on your own and just being at college is the biggest thing for them, I think — just adapting to college life and experience.” In past seasons, LaPorte said, it’s been that chemistry, that team bond, that’s led the Dukes to success. But what’s different about this group is something the squads in years past haven’t done: Bermudez said they’re using patience to their advantage. “[The underclassmen] don’t know how we do things,” LaPorte said. “They don’t know the JMU way, so I feel like we have a group of seniors that are patient with them, whereas last year, I don’t know if the seniors would’ve been.” These underclassmen are speaking up, asking questions and fitting themselves within the team, LaPorte said. It’s what the Dukes have credited the class with as their strong assets. It goes both ways: This team’s
upperclassmen have put in just as much work as the underclassmen, redshirt junior infielder Hallie Hall said, and that’s why she thinks this team is going to be successful. “We felt that it was important for us to create that bond from the jump,” Hall said. “Whether that be we’re going to dinner or hanging out and stuff, I think all of that is what transitions into how we play on the field.” Since there are so many new faces, LaPorte and the coaching staff are working harder than before to coach the Dukes. The team’s getting adjusted, and to fit in with the college softball scheme takes time. “It’s been teaching, teaching, teaching,”
20
SPORTS
Thursday, February 17 7 p.m. Men’s basketball at the CoC
Friday, February 18 All Day Track & Field at the Virginia Tech Challenge
Bring out
the bullpen
12 p.m. Women’s basketball vs. the CoC 6 p.m. Baseball at Florida State
Saturday, February 19 All Day Track & Field at Virginia Tech Challenge 11 a.m. Softball at the Charlotte Invitational 1 p.m. Lacrosse at UConn 1 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. VCU 1:30 p.m. Men’s tennis vs. Northern Illinois 2 p.m. Softball at the Charlotte Invitational 2 p.m. Baseball at Florida State 7 p.m. Men’s basketball at UNCW
Sunday, February 20 10 a.m. Softball at the Charlotte Invitational 10 a.m. Men’s tennis at Youngstown State 11 a.m. Women’s tennis vs. Morgan State 1 p.m. Softball at the Charlotte Invitational 1 p.m. Baseball at Florida State
Thursday, February 17, 2022
2 p.m. Women’s basketball vs. UNCW
Wednesday, February 23 3 p.m Baseball vs. George Mason 5 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. Missouri 7 p.m. Men’s basketball at Towson
JMU relief pitchers could be an important part of the Dukes’ success this season. Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Analysis | JMU baseball’s bullpen must improve for the 2022 season By GRAHAM SKINKER The Breeze
JMU baseball isn’t void of talent — the Dukes have a roster featuring multiple MLB prospects. Coming off a 11-17 season, the Dukes need to see improvement — specifically with the bullpen. Correcting mistakes in the bullpen can lead to more success for JMU in the 2022 season and complements the Dukes’ offensive efforts. JMU returns its best pitcher from the 2021 season in redshirt sophomore Donovan Burke. In 33 innings over 13 appearances in 2021, Burke posted a 3.00 ERA — Burke struck out 38 batters and walked 17 with a .178 batting average. The pitcher only started two games out of his 13 appearances in 2021 but he’s been upgraded to a starter for 2022. Aside from Burke, the Dukes need others to step up and keep them in games late. One name to look for is redshirt junior Lliam Grubbs — in 12 relief appearances last year, he posted a 4.42 ERA. Grubbs kept the ball in the yard on top of his ERA, allowing three home runs over 18.1 innings pitched. Grubbs’ best outing last season came April 25 against William and Mary. In just over two innings of relief, Grubbs struck out three and one runner reached base . With Grubbs entering his fourth year in the program, he’s set to be JMU’s top relief arm. Redshirt sophomore star Chase DeLauter is another bullpen contributor. Making five appearances in 2021, DeLauter finished with an ERA of 1.23, walking four batters and striking out five more in 7.1 innings pitched. Delauter is currently No. 1 on Perfect Game’s top 150 college draft board and No. 8 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 draft prospects. DeLauter’s best outing of last season came Feb. 21 against North Carolina where he allowed one hit, one walk and struck out two more. It remains to be seen how much
mound time he’ll see in 2022 because of his offensive and outfield prowess. The Dukes will also add graduate Anthony Piccolino into the rotation. Piccolino has steadily seen his role increase each year he’s been with JMU. Piccolino made a careerhigh eight appearances in 2021, posting a 4.64 ERA over 21.1 innings pitched — the New York native’s best game came March 6 against Bowling Green where he threw five shutout innings, allowing three hits while striking out four batters along the way. Although Piccolino’s ERA was decent last season, he struggled mightily with control. Piccolino surrendered 16 walks and plunked two batters in 2021. If he throws strikes consistently and cuts down on walks, Piccolino will be an immense boost to the Dukes’ bullpen. Redshirt junior Eli Ottinger looks to bounce back this season after struggling heavily throughout his 11 appearances in 2021. Ottinger finished with a 9.92 ERA and surrendered a .338 batting average. Although Ottinger’s numbers weren’t great, there’s optimism. Last year, he kept the ball in the yard, only giving up four home runs while also striking out 20 batters. Ottinger had a stellar relief outing May 15 against William and Mary. Throwing 2.2 scoreless innings, Ottinger struck out five batters and surrendered just one base runner. Ottinger’s ability to keep the ball in the yard is a reason to be hopeful about his 2022 campaign. Digging a bit deeper into the JMU pitching rotation, there are a few names who stick out, one of them being redshirt freshman Carmine Poppiti. As a true freshman, Popitti didn’t see the mound much, making only three appearances. However, in those three appearances, Poppiti didn’t allow an earned run. Poppiti’s best outing of 2021 came Feb. 19 against North Carolina. He tossed two
scoreless innings in relief, walked one batter and struck out two more. Although he lacks consistent experience, Poppiti capitalized on his limited opportunities in 2021, and this should allow him to see an increased role entering his second season. Another name to watch for is redshirt sophomore Sam Landess. As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Landess made five relief appearances for the Dukes. He finished with a 2.25 ERA over four innings pitched and allowed just three hits while walking four batters and striking out three. The Virginia native tossed one scoreless inning of relief in 2021 against Bowling Green, allowing just one hit and striking out two batters. Landess was effective in limited appearances last season. Look for Landess to see more mound time throughout the 2022 season. Redshirt sophomore Matt Kleinfelter is another bullpen contributor for the Dukes in 2022. Kleinfelter tossed just 4.1 innings last season over three appearances and struggled a bit last season. Finishing with an 8.31 ERA and just one strikeout through his three outings, his best outing last spring also came in a game against Bowling Green. Kleinfelter threw two-thirds of an inning in relief, not allowing any base runners. Klinefelter controlled the ball well last season, only allowing one walk. If he can keep the ball off the barrel more in 2022, Kleinfelter should see more success. While the bullpen has been a weak spot in past years, there are reasons to be optimistic for the 2022 season. A step forward from this group could allow the Dukes offense more opportunities late in games and lead to more team success. CONTACT Graham Skinker at skinkegm@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @ TheBreezeSports.
21
SPORTS
Defend home court JMU men's tennis beats Radford 6-1
By CRAIG MATHIAS The Breeze
Last season, Radford handed JMU men’s tennis a 7-0 loss. The Dukes made sure that didn’t happen again. En route to its fifth consecutive win this spring, JMU defeated Radford 6-1 in a duel that consisted of close, individual matches. The Highlanders made the Dukes sweat, but their comeback efforts in singles came up short. JMU junior Holden Koons held off junior Demis Taramonlis 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(4), and JMU redshirt freshman Youssef Sadek pulled away late in his 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 victory over junior Kostantinos Raptis . “We knew these guys were pretty good [because] we lost to them 7-0 last year,” Koons said. “It wasn’t an intimidating 7-0 because there were a lot of three-set matches, so I think going in, we were all pretty hungry to win this match.” In doubles, senior William Karpinski and sophomore Oscar Hernandez jump-started JMU’s afternoon with a 6-0 win over Radford’s Raptis and sophomore Guilherme Severin. Koons and Sadek fended off Taramonlis and senior Andres Silva 7-5 to clinch the doubles
point for the Dukes. “Doubles, a lot of the time, sets the tone,” JMU men's tennis head coach Steve Secord said. “Getting that [doubles] point is huge.” Just like how Karpinski kicked off the doubles with a win, he did the same in singles. His 6-2, 6-4 dominance over Severin put JMU up 2-0. Sadek was the first to need three sets, but he pulled away late in his 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 win against Raptis, giving JMU a 3-0 lead and full control. “I had a gameplan in mind because I saw [Raptis] play before,” Sadek said. “He’s a big guy, so all I was trying to do was to be solid and put as many balls in the court as possible. I was able to approach [the net] when I had the chance, attack when I could and neutralize his shots.” The Highlanders began to work their way back into the match. Silva made quick work of Hernandez in a 6-1, 6-1 victory. It looked like Koons would coast to his fifth-straight singles victory this season, but like Sadek, he was taken down in three sets. Down 5-1 and 4-0, Taramonlis came all the way back and eventually won the second-set tiebreak to force a deciding set. In the third set, Taramonlis jumped out
Junior Holden Koons goes for the ball against Radford. Courtesy of JMU Athletics
to a 3-1 lead. Koons worked back to take the lead at 4-3 before they exchanged games all the way to 6-6. In the third-set tiebreak, Koons put away Taramonlis and clinched the dual match, winning 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(4). “I played [Taramonlis] in the fall, and he beat me pretty badly,” Koons said. “He’s a very strong player, and going into the match I knew that, so I had a gameplan from playing him before, and playing indoors definitely favored me.” Rounding out singles action, freshman Edson Sanchez kept his perfect singles record in his 2-6, 6-0, 1-0(7) win over sophomore Aditya Balsekar. Freshman Mathieu Josserand rounded out the day with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against freshman Robert Hagen. “The two young guys at [No. 5 singles and No. 6 singles] were a little nervous
with [Koons’] match,” Secord said. “You don’t know what they’re going to do in that situation, and we still don’t because the match was decided, but I was really impressed with both of those guys pulling it out.” For the Dukes, it's a 5-0 start to the season; they’ve only dropped three dual points all season as a team. The Highlanders drop to 1-3 with the loss. Next up for JMU is a weekend in Youngstown, Ohio, for a pair of matches, first against Northern Illinois on Feb. 19 — scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start — and then the following day versus Youngstown State with that match set for a 10 a.m start. CONTACT Craig Mathias at mathiack@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more men’s tennis coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
Phi Beta Kappa has sent out Invites! Be sure to check your emails as of February 16th Thursday, February 17, 2022
www.jmu.edu/pbk/
22 FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 14, 2022
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
$17.95
$10.95
$9.99
Thursday, February 17, 2022
$17.95
Hours: Monday- Thursday: 11am-9:30pm
$21.95
Friday-Saturday: 11am-10:30pm Sunday- CLOSED
DOWN 1 Censorshipfighting org. 2 Love handles, essentially
2/14/22
By Paul Coulter
3 Broccoli __ 4 Aroma 5 Personal user pic 6 Seats with kneelers 7 “__ questions?” 8 Regret 9 Brusque 10 Music for a movie 11 Trusted adviser 12 Excursion 14 Group co-founded by Bill W.’s wife 17 Merlot or Syrah 21 Acapulco article 23 Big celebration 24 Anger 25 Novelist Cather 26 Negro Leagues legend Buck __ 27 Presidential workplace 28 Patriotic org. since 1890 29 Dead, as an engine 31 Church donation 32 Contemptuous look 35 “Par avion” letters 38 Just slightly
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
stumpe
find the answers online
d?
ACROSS 1 Erykah Badu hairdo 5 In pieces 10 The Beatles’ Pepper, e.g.: Abbr. 13 Attired 14 Pennsylvania in Washington, for example 15 Couple’s pronoun 16 Alliterative union litigator 18 State sch. with campuses in Providence 19 DoorDash rival 20 It follows dawn 22 Ancestry.com concern 23 Wicked one 25 Alliterative craftsperson 30 Lawyers: Abbr. 33 To no avail 34 On a cruise, say 36 __ Tin Tin 37 Discover 38 Word that fittingly fills the blanks in “_ _ propria _ e” 39 About to explode 41 Rapper __ Kim 42 “__, Brute?” 44 Nativity display 45 Quite often 47 Alliterative marriage specialist 49 Malodorous 51 One-named “Cheap Thrills” singer 52 ’90s trade acronym 54 Rain in light drops 59 NFL’s Cardinals 60 Alliterative accompanist 63 Anatomical pouch 64 Being 65 Act the blowhard 66 Civil War nickname 67 Indoor parking lot features 68 Nordstrom rival
www.breezejmu.org/ site/crossword_ answers/
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
40 “The Crying Game” actor Stephen 43 “Enough!” in a text 44 Happy as a lark? 46 Hanoi holiday 48 $100 bills, in slang 50 Narrow to a point 52 Astronaut’s insignia
2/14/22
53 Speedy steed 54 Barbershop sound 55 Apprehends 56 Actress Sedgwick 57 Plumbing problem 58 Units of work 61 “Be there __ sec!” 62 Bank convenience, for short
23
MADISON MARKETPLACE
Madison Marketplace is open for business, and all text-only listings are FREE! Post job listings, announcements, rentals and more using our online placement tool. Ads run two weeks online and in two print editions.
JOBS
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Park Maintenance Laborer
Are you looking for a seasonal job that allows you to work primarily outdoors and utilize your maintenance skills? If so, apply to the City of Harrisonburg’s seasonal Park Maintenance Laborer position! Find out more/apply online at: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Crew Member (Green Space Activities) Are you seeking a seasonal opportunity that allows you to work outdoors while making a direct impact on the local community’s green space activities? If so, consider applying for the seasonal Crew Member position with the Department of Public Works! Find out more/apply online at: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.
Career Opportunity - Business License Compliance Officer
Are you seeking a professional environment that allows you to utilize your customer service skills to provide high quality service in the local community? If so, apply for the Business License Compliance Officer position with the City of Harrisonburg’s Commissioner of the Revenue Office! Find out more/apply at: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Golf Cart Attendant
Do you want a seasonal position with flexible scheduling that will assist in projecting a friendly image of our golf course facility to citizens/employees/ others? If so, the Parks and Recreation Department’s Golf Cart Attendant position may be the right job for you! Find out more/apply online at: https:// www.harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Park Grounds Maintenance Laborer Are you looking for a seasonal job that allows you to work primarily outdoors and utilize your maintenance skills to upkeep various park grounds? If so, apply to the City of Harrisonburg’s seasonal Park Grounds Maintenance Laborer position! Find out more/apply online at: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Golf Course Maintenance Laborer
Are you looking for a seasonal position in a friendly golf course environment? Do you love being around guests having a great time? If so, consider applying for the City of Harrisonburg’s seasonal Golf Course Maintenance Laborer position! Find out more/apply online at: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.
Credit union Harrisonburg
opening
Seasonal Job Opportunity - Athletic Field Maintenance Laborer
Are you looking for a seasonal job that allows you to work primarily outdoors and utilize your maintenance skills to upkeep the City’s various athletic fields? If so, apply to the City of Harrisonburg’s seasonal Athletic Field Maintenance Laborer position! Find out more/apply online at: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.
Seasonal Job Opportunity Customer Service Specialist (Golf) Are you looking for a seasonal job that allows you to safely interact with others in a fun environment at the awardwinning Heritage Oaks Golf Course? If so, apply for the City of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department’s Customer Service Specialist - Golf position! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.
Coffee at Pour & Connect!
Pour & Connect is now open daytime 7 days a week offering a full espresso and iced coffee drinks + Cold Brew! Hot Breakfast Sandwiches and Baked goods. Plant based Energy Drinks. We still have 30 taps of your favorite selfserve beverages and Karaoke Thursday nights. Instagram: @pourconnect
Part-Time Job Opportunity Recycling Center Attendant Do you want to utilize your customer service skills to greet and assist residents at the City’s Recycling Convenience Center? If so, the Public Works Department’s Recycling Center Attendant may be the right job for you! Preferred hiring rate: $15.35/hour. Find out more/apply online at: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.
in
Everence has an open position for a credit union Member Services Representative (MSR). The role includes: • Bilingual abilities (Spanish and English) • Strong customer service skills • Knowledge in or interest to learn credit union operations Visit everence.com/careers and the openings in Virginia to apply or learn more!
COLD CASE- Help find missing child from 1993
Psychic needs volunteers to search an area to find a child missing since 1993. I am in New Mexico, or I would do it myself. Please contact me at bipolart@ gmail.com. Serious emails only, please. It is not a large area, and I don’t think it will take very long. Thursday, February 17, 2022
Post your ad at BreezeJMU.org/classifieds
24
TT BAELUS EA V
JMU
• RENOVATED CLUBHOUSES • • NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS • • UPDATED APARTMENTS •
APPLY FREE ONLINE
THEHILLSJMU
540.432.0600 | LIVE-THEHILLS.COM